Wednesday
Oct052016
Still stalking
Wed, 5 Oct 2016
OK I'll fess up. I'm still stalking for homes that I love but don't need to buy and couldn't afford anyway. I'm smitten by this house. It's in my favourite Melbourne suburb, Fitzroy. It's an Italianate-style building from the Victorian era and you can never have enough historic arches and columns on your facade in my opinion. Add to that an instant group of party friends who descend in the evening to indulge in cheese and nibbles while looking covetously at your fabulous home and who seem to be included in the sale. (Check out the video if you don't believe me.) What more could you want? Perhaps a bigger rug in the living room but I'll forgive that because, well, that TV room. Hello! Link here while it lasts.
Reader Comments (12)
This is gorgeous! I seriously need to find about those orange and white planter boxes/cubes in the courtyard. I have never seen anything like them - can anyone help me out??
Gosh the use of drones and videography really makes a statement in a listing doesn't it? This home looks beautiful. I especially love your feature homes in my hometown of Melbourne. Thanks for sharing and inspiring
"Add to that an instant group of party friends who descend in the evening to indulge in cheese and nibbles while looking covetously at your fabulous home and who seem to be included in the sale. (Check out the video if you don't believe me.) What more could you want?"
Some non-white friends? It's like a meeting of the Klu Klux Klan in there, only with better canapes.
On the plus side, you do seem to get a puppy with the house!
All snarkiness aside, it IS a beautiful house, and thankfully they've restored the gorgeous Italianate architecture and the original fixtures rather than wiping it clean in a fit of minimalism. I'd live there in a heartbeat.
Amazing architecture. And tv room.
@Blanders - please go live your drama some place else. It is so rude to call unknown innocent people names or comapring them like that, just because they are not living your idea of life.
So the advertising has to include a disclaimer in bold font red ink: please note and be advised, people in ad not included in sale of house.
I see Blanders point. I'd expect to see a more diversity in any group of friends in a metropolitan, multi-cultural city like Melbourne. Especially, in an video designed to extoll the greatness of living there. Those people were SELECTED to be in that video. They cast people they thought represent how great it is to live there. It's sole purpose is to make someone want to buy. THEY HAVE A TARGET AUDIENCE. The people in the video represent that demographic. It's an ad, after all.
Sadly, all to often there's a kind of moral licensing happening. In other words: Because I (insert any one or all of the following: Own African art, eat Chinese Food, love Curry, work with a Muslim) I'm okay even if I'd never invite anyone like that to my party.
If you can't see that or purposely blind yourself to it, resentments build and gaps widen.
@ombia, I was making a joke. I just found it amusing that inner city suburbs like Fitzroy are all about diversity and environmentalism and sustainability and social justice... until they want to sell their houses. Then suddenly it's "Hooray for Rich White People!" and all progressive politics goes right out the (beautifully restored Italianate) window.
I still love the house :)
@Blenders - a part of the social justice is also not to call unknown people members of Klu Klux Klan and not to put people in drawers where they may not belong. I am white, not rich at all and don't want to be subject of above comparison just based on my skin colour. Do you understand my point? You do complain about skin discrimination and you do descriminate in the very same second.
@d of dogland - I guess the right reaction would be to avoid all together companies that don't follow your moral concept. And it would bring much more then posting a comment here. This is the only possible way to really make a difference.
Oh my, the comments must have really struck a nerve. I was surprised to see Ombia's reaction to Blanders' admittedly snarky remark. It was a joke based on a valid observation. But, it brought up a valid point.
I've lived in places where you'd actually have to work to gather a group of people who didn't represent the diversity of the community. Check out Melbourne's demographic. It is a diverse, multi-cultural city. I'm sure there are all sorts of folks who might want to buy and can afford a home in that market. By the way, diversity doesn't only refer to skin color. There wasn't even a gray hair or overweight white person in that video. That, certainly cannot reflect all potential buyers. We should all be cognizant of a subtle, insidious kind of discrimination. A sort of discrimination by omission. Not as in your face as a KEEP OUT SIGN, but it sends this message: “We are the beautiful people. We have a beautiful life here. Don't see yourself here? Too bad.” Insidious because if you're not left out, you may not see it. But, if you're always the one left out of the picture it's demoralizing and slowly chips away at your self-worth and soul. It might be unintentional, but once you’re made aware of it, I’d hope the reaction would be acknowledgement and not attack.
Ombia, sadly, I don't think you understand it's not "my moral concept." I'm not alone and I'm troubled you feel that way. What could possibly be wrong with being more inclusive and not merely tolerating each other? Do you honestly believe I'd only comment here and don't live my entire life that way? The world is diverse... a melting pot, getting smaller and blending more every minute of every day. It's a reason for optimism! Hopefully, it will give humans fewer things to war over. I think this is a case where you are the minority.
Maybe posting your argumentative comments on YouTube where the people that posted it could see them rather than on a third party site that had nothing at all do to with the video production might be more effective. Posting it here simply looks like trolling rather than someone trying to make a serious comment to fix a problem.
Nice house
@d of dogland - you completely misunderstud my point. I don't know if it was
your intention or not. But you missed the point. Even worse, you are not even desturbed with
KKK remark. Enough drama for me. I rest my case.
@wwax - amen to that.